Knockdown berry-box.



STATES ATET GFFlC.

JOHN EKLUND AND ADELBERT CHESTER GRIDLEY, 01". ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN.

KNOCKDOVN BERRY-BOX.

To all whom it 'may concer/1,:

Be it known that we, JOHN EKLUND and ADELBERT CHESTER GRIDLEY, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of St. Joseph, Berrien county, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Knockdown Berry-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to berry boxes of the kind in which provision is made for separating the band from the bottom, whereby the two parts can be shipped in a perfectly flat condition, and whereby no staples are necessary for holding` the box together.

Our invention contemplates, therefore, a knockdown or collapsible berry box in which the bottom is provided at one edge with a couple of lugs which are suitably spaced apart, and in which the band has its end portions provided with slots which, when the said end portions are lapped one upon the other, are in position to be engaged by the said lugs on theedge of the bottom, whereby the lapping end portions of the band are held together without the necessity of using staples or other fastening devices, the opposite side of the box being suitably constructed to engage and hold the other or opposite edge of the bottom, thus adapting the said band and bottom to be shipped flat, and enabling the user to put the box together' without using staples or other fastening devices.

It also contemplates, in a box of the foregoing character, a band provided at one end with a tongue adapted to engage a slot formed in the other end portion of the band, the said tongue being` preferably provided with a notch which, when the band is folded, lockingly engages one end of the slot, whereby the said box is prevented from spreading apart at the top.

To these and other useful ends our invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a berry box embodying the principles of our invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the band of said box, on a reduced scale, showing the same spread out flat. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, on a reduced scale, on line 3 3 in Fig. l.

As thus illustrated, the band A can be made 1 of veneer or other sheet material, being scored transversely at a, a, a2 and a3 to provide the side walls a4, a5 and a, and the lapping Specieaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 20, 1911.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

Serial No. 609,591.

end portions a7 and as, which latter, when the band is folded, are lapped one upon the other to form the remaining or fourth side wall of the box. The end portion a7 is provided near its upper edge, and upon the vertical edge thereof, with a tongue a9 having a notch L10 in the upper edge thereof, which notch is located at the vertical edge of the band. This end .portion of the band is also provided, at a point near its lower edge, with a horizontal slot @11. The end portion as is provided, at a similar distance from the lower edgeof the band, with a couple of separated slot-s 0512 and (L13, and at a point above with a vertical slot a, which latter is also some distance from the end of the band. The middle section of the band is provided with a long slot (L15 which extends horizontally a short distance above the lower edge of the band.

The rectangular bottom B has one edge thereof provided with a couple of separated lugs Z) and b, and at its opposite edge with a wide tongue o2, the width of the bottom in the other direction being somewhat less than the interior width of the box, whereby spaces C are formed in the bottom of the box at the sides thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the band and the bottom can be shipped fiat. To form the box the loand is folded to bring the portion a upon the outer surface of the portion as, with thetongue a9 projecting through the slot a, and with the notch L10 in locking engagement with the edge at the upper end of said slot, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1, and bringing the slot L11 into register with the slot L13 at the other end of the band. Then the bottom is slipped into place, by forcibly crowding it down into the box, the lug Z) engaging the slots a and 613, the lug o engaging the slot @12, and the tongue o2 engaging the slot @15, the natural spring or tension of the material of which the band is made being sufficient to maintain this engagement. Or, if more convenient, the band can be folded upon and around the rectangular bottom.

It will be seen that the end portions of the band are held together by one edge of the bottom, as the lugs b and b prevent the end portions of the band from drawing apart. The upper portion of the box is prevented from spreading by the locking engagement of the tongue a9 with the slot a,14 in the manner explained. In this way a rni and reliable box is provided Without the necessity of using staples or other fastening devices.

Whative claim as our invention is A box the Walls of Which consist of a band folded at the corners of the box and having its end portions overlapped at one side of the box, the outer Wall of the overlap terminating at a point between the ends of the inner Wall thereof, means being provided for fastening the overlapped parts together, and a bottom fitting Within the box and supported on the Walls, a support at the overlapped side consisting of a pair of separated projections extending into slots formed in the Wall at opposite sides of the joint, the projection at that side of the joint Where the overlap occurs extending through both layers thereof.

Signed by us at St. Joseph, Berrien county, Michigan, this 14th day of February, 1911.

JOHN EKLUND. ADELBERT CHESTER GRIDLEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. ST. CLAIR, AMEL A. HERRING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

